I learned to knit after being downsized from a long-time job. I had thought of signing up for lessons at the LYS (local yarn shop) but there was never enough time. The weekly class gave me something to look forward to.

It was great to be in a group where no one knew me. I was so tired of talking about what had happened. A wonderful new world opened to me. Whenever I couldn't sleep or found myself angry and hurting, I got out my knitting.

I have had a real run of bad luck recently healthwise. This last bout was a flare up of arthritis in my back. Doc says my lower back is basically crushed and riddled with arthritis. Pain was so bad I was crying out and groaning hideously.DD carted me off to hospital where I found a chair I could sit in. Could not lie flat on the bed. I sat there all night with my knitting. I tried desperately to knit. It helped me to deal with the pain. Then I would doze of for a few minutes, bolt upright in the chair, mid stitch. I would wake up and keep knitting. I made so many mistakes. I was shaking madly in trying to cope with the pain despite lots of pain killers. But I kept going. I corrected the mistakes and stubbornly kept on with it. That dishcloth got me through a very dark night.

I can tell you how knitting has help me lower my blood pressure. Two years ago I fracture a hip still don't know how. The pain from that as worst than child birth. They couldn't find pain medicine that I didn't break out from. Then there was a transplant. I had so many hats and cowls made. I see my sisters wearing what I knitted and laugh to myself. I call it my pain wear. Donna